Christmas Inheritance (2017)

Directed by: Ernie Barbarash

Written by: Dinah Eng

Before ambitious heiress Ellen Langford can inherit her father's gift business, she must deliver a special Christmas card to her dad's former partner in Snow Falls, the hometown she never knew. When a snowstorm strands her at the town inn, she's forced to work for her keep, and in the process, finds romance and discovers the true gift of Christmas.

---

I've been so many holiday movies, but it's working. I'm getting into the holiday spirit. So what harm could one more do?

Again I can repeat what I've been saying a lot while reviewing these movies. They are super average and predictable, and easy background noise. However, this one has more holiday spirit than the others I've watched.

Why does this one have more holiday spirit? Well first of all, almost every shot feels Christmas-y. They are warm, colorful and just so damn pretty. But what's most important is the story. Other stories were simple love stories, and even worse, princess stories. This one was about learning and doing good, and I associate that more to the holidays than becoming a princess. It's actually more like this story is the opposite of those. It's a spoiled princess become a regular girl. Yes, that happened in The Princess Switch too, but it went both ways because of the Prince and the Pauper kind of story. And here the main character isn't an actual princess, just the daughter of a business man, and there are good reasons for why she acts the way she does, earning her the nickname "party heiress".

I'm not really into the love story here. It could be improved with some things, like maybe remove the fiance, because it's just an annoying love triangle where there's a clear winner.

While I can say how average and boring this movie could be, it also made me feel something, and even made me tear up a little. It's a nice movie to watch during the holidays, but I don't see much rewatch value in it. If  you're a typical Grinch, then maybe you'll just find this movie boring and average and everything it is, but if you want to get into the holiday spirit, this might be the right movie for you.

☆☆☆☆☆

5 / 10

The Princess Switch (2018)

Directed by: Mike Rohl

Written by: Robin Bernheim & Megan Metzger

A Chicago baker is competing in a Christmas baking competition in Belgravia. There she bumps into the prince's fiancee. They look alike and switch for 2 days.

---

I could repeat almost everything I said in my review for A Christmas Prince: The Royal Wedding. Almost. This movie is unoriginal with very typical plotlines. It's the kind of movie that can just play in the background when you're celebrating te holidays. 

The thing is, this plot has been done million times, so if your going to do it again, you should add something new to it. It's just a bundle of clichés you can predict a thousand miles away.  The writing just isn't very good or original. Biggest problem with me is how these two characters are supposed to have different personalities, but they seem very alike. The only difference is how they are described, but you just don't see that description when the characters are on the screen.

But what this movie has that A Christmas Prince didn't, is that I actually like the romances here. I actually get invested in the love-lives of the two main characters, and that doesn't happen to me often. 

Even though this is another unoriginal Netflix original background movie, it's very sweet, and I liked it way more than I did Christmas Prince movies. Will I rewatch this? No. Do I want a sequel? Hell no. But watching it wasn't the worst thing ever, and sometimes I thought good things about the movie. It's average, super average, but maybe some people like it, and I don't see the harm in that.

☆☆☆☆☆

5 / 10

A Christmas Prince: The Royal Wedding (2018)

Directed by: John Schultz

Written by: Nathan Atkins

Based on the characters created by: Karen Schaler

A year after helping Richard get to the throne, Amber is about to become his wife. But is she really made to be queen?

---

I barely remember anything from the first movie. I guess that's fitting because I barely remember anything from this one, even though I just finished watching it.

There are too many side plots and all of them are very typical and we've seen them all before. Characters are cliches, the main character annoying, and the ending is dragged out.

All the princess cliches are annoying and I just want to roll my eyes to the character. Oh, she doesn't like the protocols and traditions, well guess what, that's what royal families are like, especially in the movies. And from what I recall they were pretty strict in the first movie too, so what, did you expect everything to change? Also she's upset that the king's busy. I get that, but also, what did she expect marrying into a royal family? Of course the king is busy! But you could've also chosen a less busy time for the wedding so this wouldn't be a problem.

Nothing in this movie is original, and it seems like the kind of movie that would just play in the background during your holiday party without anyone even paying attention to it. It's a movie that's easy to watch without giving a crap and it's easy to forget about afterwards.

☆☆☆☆

4 / 10

To All the Boys I've Loved Before (2018)

Directed by: Susan Johnson

Screenplay by: Sofia Alvarez

Based on a novel by: Jenny Han

Lara Jean Covey writes letters to all of her past loves, the letters are meant for her eyes only. Until one day when all the love letters are sent out to her previous loves. Her life is soon thrown into chaos when her foregoing loves confront her one by one.

---

Once again, against my better judgement, I decided to trust a Netflix Original.

Don't get me wrong, some of the Netflix original shows are amazing and actually best TV shows I've seen. But the movies aren't that good. Most of the movies I've seen are so aggressively average it's annoying. I talked about this in my review for How We First Met, and I actually haven't watched another Netflix original movie since. The only one I really liked is Win It All, and I got to admit... I gave it 8/10, but I barely remember it. 

When To All the Boys I've Loved Before came out, I added it to my list, like many other Netflix original movies. It seemed cute enough. It almost got ruined for me. Someone I followed on Twitter retweeted so much  stuff about it it was annoying. It wasn't spoilers, but it was just endless wave of cutesy tweets about the movie. I ended up blacklisting the characters' names (because the name of the movie was so long it barely appeared in the tweets) and unfollowing the person tweeting those. This seemed like a movie I could like, so seeing all those tweets... They were similar to people who tweet about K-Pop or One Direction. Like you can like whatever you like, but at some point I'm going to get annoyed seeing so many tweets.

And tonight I decided maybe it's time to watch the movie. I just moved so I need something cozy, and I wasn't so annoyed, so... Why not?

Do I regret trusting Netflix this time? Not really. Yes, this movie was again super mediocre, but I ended up liking it just enough. 

While everything else was average, there's one thing I enjoyed more than anything else in the movie. The best thing is the cinematography. It's beautiful! Every frame is pretty to look at, the colours and the composition is well designed. It looks like a movie like this should. 

The story itself doesn't really reach the point it could. Even if I like the "fake dating" trope, it's pretty typical here. I like the characters, but not enough. But the story is pretty typical and it's exactly what you'd think this story would be like.

The structure is super predictable, but I have to admit, there were some surprises. If a strucutre is predictable, it doesn't automatically mean I know every event that's going down. I just know what route the story will usually take, like "after this thing, the story is probably going to slow and calm down", but sometimes in this movie there was something that felt new and refreshing. Like this kind of movie usually doesn't have this kind of twist here, it's usually elsewhere. And that was kind of nice.

There's something I liked about watching this movie, but it's probably more the feeling of the movie and the cinematography than the actual story. Of course I see why people like this. It's cute and warm and it's easy to watch. It still kind of needs something more, but I think for the intended audience, this is enough.

☆☆☆☆☆☆

6 / 10

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993)

Directed by: Eric Radomski & Bruce Timm

Written by: Alan Burnett, Paul Dini, Martin Pasko & Michael Reaves

Batman is wrongly implicated in a series of murders of mob bosses actually done by a new vigilante assassin.

---

I tumbled onto a video of this movie by Nostalgia Critic, and he did a damn good  job talking about the movie, because I immediately wanted to watch it. What really won me over was how the movie has interesting character study without being too analyzing like some other movies filled with 'very important dialogue', and the fact that this story is actually a mystery. While Batman is a detective, the live action films don't really have any mysteries for him to solve. 

The runtime for this movie is only 76 minutes, so there is no time to waste. Batman: Mask of the Phantasm starts immediately, and there are no scenes or moments unnecessary during the story. And the movie actually manages to be thrilling right when it starts. 

The story is interesting. Of course the mystery is intriguing, and very well written. It keeps you invested and guessing. One negative thing I might point out is that it doesn't feel like there's anything to lose. Sure, people thing Batman is killing the mob bosses, but we know he isn't, and honestly, what could the police do about it? Clearly in the world of this story Batman sticks to the shadows and is rarely seen, so it doesn't seem like he could be caught, or that anything could happen to him. Also even if the killer of the mob bosses wasn't caught? It's not like the audience is interested in their lives.

Another great thing about the story is how we see a different version of Bruce Wayne in the flashbacks. He isn't exactly Batman yet, and he considers not even being Batman, since he's in love and actually happy. It's a new side to him, and it asks and answers the question, what if Bruce Wayne was happy? Could he still be Batman?

While watching the movie I was briefly annoyed by the amount of flashbacks, feeling that they might slow down the story, but they actually provided us with some time to breathe. And I won't lie, all those flashbacks were necessary in one way or another. 

And I have to say it: one of the biggest reasons I wanted to see this movie was Mark Hamill, and I love how they tied Joker into the plot. He could've just been thrown in the mix since he's the Joker and people love to hate him, but instead he actually had an interesting role. And honestly, Mark Hamill is the only actor who has made me sort of afraid of the Joker.

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is an excellent Batman movie, and if I had to rank all the Batman movies I've seen  - mostly live action - this one would probably be number one on that list. It's well-written, mysterious and while it's a family picture, it's thrilling to both kids and adults.

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

9 / 10

When We First Met (2018)

Directed by: Ari Sandel

Written by: John Whittington

Noah spends the perfect first night with Avery, the girl of his dreams, but gets relegated to the friend zone. He spends the next three years wondering what went wrong - until he gets the unexpected chance to travel back in time and change that night - and his fate - over and over again.

---

I added When We First Met on my list on Netflix when it came out. Mostly I did that because the movie seemed extremely annoying. Main character is a dude who is heartbroken because he was friend-zoned by the girl of his dreams? Boo-hoo. I guess my instant moment was "well this is a movie that I can write an annoyed review of."

Now I don't know if that makes you want me to love this movie or hate it, but I don't feel strong feelings towards this movie. Well, a little, but that's less to do with the actual movie and it's storyline than my love life feeling hopeless right now. Yeah, a fucking great idea to watch a romantic movie, right?

My very first feeling of this movie is that... it felt a bit stalker-y. Mostly it's because the first time Noah goes back in time he talks with Avery and like guesses most of the stuff about her and then Avery freaks out because she thinks Noah is a stalker. Now we know Noah isn't a stalker, we know he actually is friends with Avery, but it makes you slightly uncomfortable. The whole thing is played off kind of clumsily, and it's really not a strong start for the movie.

It made me think about About Time, where the main character travelled back in time several times to meet The Love Of His Life the Right Way. It was slightly weird it was like dude, give up, you're coming off creepy. I mean of course not to the girl, because she had no idea how many times they actually met. Of course About Time wasn't entirely based on this, like When We First Met is.

It all boils down to how much more this movie could've been played off the right way. Now it's just Noah fucks up different ways. Dude, I don't think you're reacting to time travel the right way.

However, it's not like the movie is entirely bad. There are good scenes, there are funny scene and there are actually moving things about this movie. It's just that the whole movie is just very... average. Like sure it can entertain you for that 90 minutes, but I don't think I'll be thinking about this movie much after writing this review.

Before I launch into the biggest thing I want to talk about, I have few other details I want to say.

First one is the best part of the movie: there was this jazz-y, Birdman kind of score, but it wasn't used as much as it should've been. I love Birdman, and the soundtrack is amazing, and whenever movies have that kind of sound, I'm ecstatic. But here I heard it, what, few times? I think it was used less than "I'm sexy and I know it".

Another thing, I was super confused as to why Andrew Bachelor was in this. I asked myself - and my friends - since when has he been acting? Well apparently since 2010, and I had actually seen another movie where he was. I didn't realise that! Well his acting in movies is better than his vines, and honestly I'd watch him in more movies. Probably one of the most entertaining actors in this movie.

Now to the things that came into mind only because at school we had the pleasure of meeting Dome Karukoski. Not the first time I got to meet him, I was at the press screening of Tom of Finland last year. And Karukoski apparently comes to our school a lot, which is awesome. Anyway, one thing I noticed thanks to him was product placement in this film. Usually I kind of ignore that, but after talking about Jaffa sponsoring Karukoski's film Tyttö sinä olet tähti, I noticed that. Jaffa is a Finnish brand of soda, and while they sponsored the film, they had just said "if you can see Jaffa in a scene that's great", and there just is Jaffa in the background of the film - according to Karukoski, I haven't seen the movie yet. But the product placement I noticed in this movie was kind of... obnoxious. Like the brand is said in a way no one really says brand names and it's just tacky. I don't think I pay attention to product placements usually because there just is a lot of it in films, but this time it was just like egh. No thank you. Never going to use those brands. Get the fuck out of my film.

Another thing Karukoski talked about was how Netflix has so much money to use on content, but they don't have enough creators for content. Well it shows! This film is a Netflix original? Sure, it's not shit, but it's not great either. It's just average. Is that what Netflix is going for?

Content creators everywhere, if you have ideas for better films than this please pitch it to Netflix, they need a wake up call. Netflix original shows are often really cool but movies are very... meh.

When We First Met was an okay film, made me feel like three different emotions, I don't think that's a lot. It's entertaining, but I'd pick a different film if I were you - unless you love average meh films.

  ☆☆☆☆☆

5 / 10

The Shape of Water (2017)

Directed by: Guillermo Del Toro

Written by: Guillermo Del Toro & Vanessa Taylor

At a top secret research facility in the 1960s, a lonely janitor forms a unique relationship with an amphibious creature that is being held in captivity.

---

My friend and I wanted to go see another film half ironically, but they were all so booked we couldn't sit next to each other, so instead we went to see The Shape of Water which probably was way more romantic than the one we intended to see.

There's one word I'd use to describe The Shape of Water: Beautiful. It's beautiful in so many ways:

The story and especially the love aspect of the story feels more genuine than anything I've seen in ages. The love between the characters develop and while it's of course unusual, it feels more real that way. All the characters in typical romantic movies are the same, but Elisa and the "amphibious creature" are different from those characters.

Alexandre Desplat's score was also astonishing. It was light, simple and after the film ends it makes you feel like you're half dancing out of the theatre.

And of course we can't talk about beauty of a film without talking about the visual side. The cinematography is stunning. The film is unbelievably colourful. I especially love the use of green and blue throughout the movie. Honestly, this is what I hope I could achieve one day as a cinematographer.

The Shape of Water is a beautiful film in so many ways, while still managing to be brutal when needed. Totally a masterpiece, worth all the nominations and awards.

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

10 / 10

A Christmas Prince (2017)

Directed by: Alex Zamm

Written by: Karen Schaler & Nathan Atkins

When a reporter goes undercover as a tutor to get the inside scoop on a playboy prince, she gets tangled in some royal intrigue and ends up finding love - but will she be able to keep up her lie?

---

This might feel like a radical change considering just last night I was watching a horror movie about torture, and now I'm watching a Holiday romance movie featuring a prince, I mean... That's just sappy and almost disgustingly sweet compared to what I watched last night... But it wasn't like "I have to see something cute now", it was more like, I have no school today and I'm bored, let's clear my list in Netflix.

I hate these kind of movies. I hate everything about them. The structure of the story is always similar, and you can see how the story is going to go from a mile away. It's an easy movie to watch, I guess there's nothing more to it. And yes, I admit, at one point I was almost excited to see how this was going to go, but that feeling lasted for two minutes, and that was that.

The only thing I liked in this movie is the actress Rose McIver, yet her performance wasn't as great as I had hoped. The only one giving this movie a little charm was Honor Kneafsey as princess Emily. Everyone else was just plain bland and awful.

So yeah, if you want an easy movie to watch over the holidays, this is perfect for that, but honestly... Nothing special about this movie. absolutely nothing. It's boring, bland, and I feel like I've seen it million times before. And I have no idea why Christmas even is a theme here, it could've been done without that.

☆☆☆

3 / 10

Alex & Emma (2003)

Directed by: Rob Reiner

Written by: Jeremy Leven

Alex has 30 days to write a novel and pay back his loan, so he hires a stenographer to help him.

---

Alex & Emma was a completely new to me. I didn't know anything about it once I started watching, apart from the short little Netflix summary. I mostly started watching it because I adore Kate Hudson and I really wanted to see a romantic comedy.

Alex & Emma is a charming, silly little rom-com.  One of its biggest flaws, however, is that it doesn't really rely on the threat as much as it should. Hey, the main character will probably be killed if he doesn't finish the novel and hence get the money, and for some reason they aren't focusing on that at all. Maybe they thought it would be too heavy for a romantic comedy, but I think if they would've leaned on it more, it would've really given the movie that special something. And not necessarily make the movie feel like a thriller, but there is definite pressure in the situation, yet it doesn't seem or feel like that at all. 

One of the strongest elements in the movie is that there are two stories going at once: the reality with Alex and Emma, and the novel they are writing. It's always interesting to see movies that work out that way, especially when you can see how the two stories intertwine, like in the play in Moulin Rouge! or the screenplay they are writing in Seven Psychopaths - though Alex & Emma artistically is nowhere near those two movies. Also even though there are two stories, the story they are writing wouldn't work on its own. It would be boring without knowing how it's affected by Alex's experiences. Also the other story on its own is no story without the one they are writing.

There's something really charming and sweet about this movie, and a lot of its charm comes from the style of the novel they are working on. It takes place in the 20s and it looks and sounds exactly like movies based on that era would, which is noticeably different from the base, which is a typically bland romantic comedy.

Alex & Emma is fun and sweet, yet eventually there's not much in it. It's good to watch it once, but I can't imagine seeing it another time. What could it offer me the second time? No idea.

But at least it made me want to write a novel. Thank god NaNoWriMo is coming.

☆☆☆☆☆

5 / 10

Hamlet Goes Business (1987)

Directed and written by: Aki Kaurismäki

A bizarre black-and-white film noir reworking of Shakespeare's 'Hamlet'. After the death of his father, young Hamlet inherits a seat on the board of a company controlled by his uncle that decides to move into the rubber duck market. But Hamlet is suspicious of the circumstances surrounding his father's death...

---

I've read few plays by Shakespeare, and seen even fewer live, but Hamlet will forever remain my favourite. So, when we had to watch and analyse a Finnish film for school, I turned to my dad, because obviously I wanted to see something by Aki Kaurismäki. Even if we did these in groups, I kind of chose on behalf of the rest of my team. My decision was mostly based on always been interested in Hamlet Goes Business and having read and seen Hamlet live, well, a weird adaptation of Hamlet, I thought that might give me some insight to the film.

Like I wrote before reviewing Drifting Clouds, the actors in Kaurismäki's movies are very stiff. There's basically no emotion in the acting comparing to Hollywood movies. During Drifting Clouds I wasn't a big fan of that style, but it suits Hamlet Goes Business. It gives a certain contrast to the somewhat theatrical dialogue and the fact that this is based on a play.

Also I was surprised to see how good Pirkka-Pekka Petelius was as Hamlet. He's mostly famous for being a comedian in many sketch shows, and this is honestly the first serious role I've seen him play. Of course this is a black comedy, a spoof of Hamlet, so the role is still not entirely serious.

While I love most things about this movie, it's that ending that kind of bothers me. After seeing this film several times I'm already used to it, but it still feels very separate from the rest of the movie. It's added by Kaurismäki, which might explain that. I could go into lengths what bothers me about this, but I'd rather not make this review sound exactly like the analysis we did in class, and also I don't want to spoil you.

The music chosen for this movie is amazing. The classical music and rock music go very well together. Most of the time there's a great harmony with what we see and what we hear, but even when there's not, it' amazing. And oh, the cinematography... Weird angles and crooked shots are so great. And of course the whole movie being in black and white amplifies the whole feeling. With colours, it wouldn't be the same film.

Hamlet Goes Business is an amazing take on Hamlet, and a great satire on business world. While it's clear I will not like all of Kaurismäki's movies, I can appreciate his work and I'm glad I've found a favourite

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

9 / 10

Lapland Odyssey (2010)

Directed by: Dome Karukoski

Written by: Pekko Pesonen

A comedy about Janne, a man from Lapland in Northern Finland, a man who isn't even able to buy a digital TV box. His girlfriend Inari gives him an ultimatum: a digital box needs to arrive by dawn or she leaves. Janne sets out into the night with his two friends to find a box. 

---

I’ve seen Napapiirin Sankarit or Lapland Odyssey once before in Middle School, when we watched it in class. At the time I didn’t have my blog nor did I think that much of movies, and especially Finnish movies felt almost foreign to me, so I rarely watched any outside of school at least.

Someone actually talked about the way this film starts in school – because it doesn’t start with the main character Janne. It starts with his friend and his narration. He talks about the tree many men in the area used to hang themselves from. It’s an interesting way to start, mostly because that’s super dark – but it suits the movie and it suits Finland – but also because there has to be a shift in the point of view, if you want to change from the side character to the main character. That shift works well though. It’s smooth, and it feels natural to start following Janne not getting the digital TV box.

The story is fun, and it’s entertaining to see what kind of misadventures the main characters get themselves into. It’s not the most original comedy out there, when you consider it globally, but at least around the time when it came out, it stood out from most of Finnish comedies. Mostly it’s not as bad as some, since there are Finnish comedies I refuse to watch because of the cast and the fact that the movies are remakes of a Danish comedy. I’m not mentioning the movie by name, but I think my Finnish readers know exactly what I’m talking about. Also Napapiirin Sankarit did win four Jussi awards, for best direction, best film, best screenplay and people’s choice award, and a Silver Dolphin for best cinematography at Tróia International Film Festival, and two awards at Alpe d'Huez International Comedy Film Festival.

Napapiirin Sankarit is entertaining and it looks amazing, and it takes place in the north, which is a plus since most modern movies seem to take place in the southern Finland. It’s definitely worth seeing, whether or not you’re from Finland or elsewhere, except most Finnish people have probably seen it already. However I’m not sure about the sequels. I haven’t seen them, and they are not directed by Dome Karukoski, but at least the third one is directed by Tiina Lymi, who also directed one of my favourite Finnish movies, Äkkilähtö. Not sure if I’ll ever watch them though, since they feel forced. The first one is always the best, right?

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

8 / 10

Charlie Bartlett (2007)

Directed by: Jon Poll

Written by: Gustin Nash

A rich kid becomes the self-appointed psychiatrist to the student body of his new high school.

---

I saw the trailer for this movie ages ago, but didn't actually get too interested in it. Then I noticed the movie in Netflix, and thought hey, maybe now it's the time to watch this.

As a high school movie Charlie Bartlett is great. In the best movies, high school is never portrayed realistically, because it would be way too boring. High schools in movies are always way more colourful and have many big events during quite a short while. Stuff happens faster. It makes you kind of nostalgic for high school, while knowing it never was like that. But it's always fun to see typical sub-culture people like punks and goths and jocks and such, while the cliques might not have been so clear in your school.

Charlie Bartlett is both funny and sad. It's funny, because there definitely is humour there, even though it might be quite dark sometimes. Meanwhile it's also sad to see all these kids with their problems and seeing how little help they get - before Charlie shows up, of course.

However no matter how fun Charlie Bartlett might be, it feels also a bit boring. At least it's kind of a dull way to get all these deep, meaningful messages out. They get drowned in dialogue which isn't always that intriguing. There are several intense scenes that catch your attention though, but they are here and there and it's easy to not focus.

Charlie Bartlett is a good high school movie, but when it comes to movies in general, it's just decent. Most of it charms comes from Anton Yelchin, who was a talented, very present young actor. His performance alone makes this movie worth watching, however it doesn't quite reach my expectations.

☆☆☆☆☆☆

6 / 10

The Rules of Attraction (2002)

Directed and written by: Roger Avary 

Based on a novel by: Bret Easton Ellis

The incredibly spoiled and overprivileged students of Camden College are a backdrop for an unusual love triangle between a drug dealer, a virgin and a bisexual classmate.

---

The Rules of Attraction is definitely an interesting movie. One of the most interesting things about it was that my whole view of the movie changed after I had seen it and I saw on IMDb it was based on a novel by Bret Easton Ellis. Everything weird about this movie suddenly made way more sense when you know it's written by the same guy who wrote Less Than Zero and American Psycho. Not that I'm an expert, I've only read American Psycho but also I've never managed to finish that novel. Also helped when I actually remembered ho Roger Avary is. 

But knowing the minds behind the movie doesn't help me like it any more. 

I started watching this movie only because of Clifton Collins Jr and the fact that I haven't seen him enough - only in one TV Show and one movie, where he only has a small role. Since he was there for, what, three scenes, I didn't exactly get what I wanted out of this movie, and it didn't manage to surprise me positively. Ultimately there was a certain to this movie that I found interesting, something that reminds me of few of my favourite movies about people as old (or young) as these characters. 

However that was fleeting since most of the movie seemed to be annoying relationship, sex and romance drama that I didn't actually give a shit about. And still when the movie's summaries talk about a love triangle, I feel like it wasn't even about that. That had so little to do with everything else that was going on. I can't say if the novel is long or not, but I feel there is too much packed into this movie.

I liked many details about this movie. The soundtrack was good, the inner monologues were interesting, the cinematography... well it honestly made me think Clifton Collins Jr was going to jump through the screen and kill me, also I never knew I'd see James Van Der Beek's O-face that close... But the entirety just felt fake artsy and like a really weird mess. When you know who's behind it, it kind of explains that. It makes more sense, but it doesn't make it better

I don't know if there's a certain group of people I'd recommend this to. Fans of Bret Easton Ellis have probably already seen it, and there's a chance they don't like this adaptation. But if you decide to watch it however, huge content warnings for rape and suicide.

☆☆☆☆

4 / 10 

About Time (2013)

Directed and written by: Richard Curtis

At the age of 21 Tim discovers the men in his family have the ability to travel back in time and change things that have happened in their life. He decides to use his gift to find love, but he also learns something about the nature of life itself.

---

While I was at the rental store with my friend, we would've probably been there forever if she hadn't just decided on the fifth film for me. She chose About Time and promised me it was really good. I was sceptical, as I often am when someone else chooses a film for me to watch. And now that this movie is after, I know at least one friend whose taste I can trust.

I liked the plot almost instantly. Usually I'm not fond of any love related plots, and by that I mean how the main character knew he wanted to find love. Still it was clear that wasn't the only thing he was searching for. Moving to London he wanted to find his place, his future, and that was something many of us can relate to. Finding love just happened along the way, tho it was a bit frustrating to watch. How dumb can you be, travelling back in time without realising then you never met the girl? And why did he keep trying to find her? Sure, they are great together, but still it seemed a bit bothersome. 

One of the nicest scenes in this movie - and there are a lot - was the one in the dark restaurant where neither the characters nor the audience can see. It was amazing to see how well Tim and Mary clicked, even though they didn't even see each other. Because of that the first sight of Mary was so special. 

These kind of romantic movies seem to have the same structure, so I kept waiting for something tremendously bad to happen, like some misunderstand which would lead to awful things that would eventually turn out to be good and all that. But About Time's structure is different. Time isn't simple, and the events in Tim's life are just that - they are life. They are normal things, and his life is relatively normal apart from the time travelling thing. It's really nice, and it's very beautiful. 

About Time is a very beautiful, funny and touching movie. It's amazing, and I'm really glad my friend chose it for me. 

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

9 / 10

Irvine Welsh's Ecstasy (2011)

Directed by: Rob Heydon

Screenplay by: Rob Heydon and Ben Tucker

Based on a book by: Irvine Welsh

Small drug smuggler from Scotland is trying to figure out his way through life until he meets beautiful girl from Canada who seeks a change after bad relationship she just got out of it.

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OH, OH I HAVE NO IDEA WHY I WATCHED THIS MOVIE, NO CLUE WHATSOVER, AND THE TITLE CERTAINLY DOESN'T REVEAL THAT.

But in all seriousness, I bought Ecstasy around the time I had seen Trainspotting for the first time. I was browsing through movies and on the cover of Ecstasy it said "From the maker of Trainspotting". I liked Trainspotting, I liked Filth, so of course I was gonna by this gem since it was on sale.

When Ecstacy was made, the best known film based on Welsh's work that had came out was Trainspotting. Of course there were other projects, but those aren't that well known to us. Maybe people have heard of Acid House, but movies like Dockers? Has anyone heard of those, apart from the people who made them? Trainspotting's touch is so clear on Ecstasy. The very beginning has the same feeling to it. The main character Lloyd is talking about ecstasy in a narrating, monologue way. When certain important characters appear, their names are shown to us, just like in the beginning of Trainspotting. While I like Trainspotting, I'd rather not be watching a movie where  the director thinks he's doing Trainspotting when he's not.

But luckily that's the beginning. Apart from drugs, Scotland and Welsh's charming text (and his face, briefly), there's nothing too similar in these stories.

The love story was somehow new to me. I have read only few novels by Welsh, but love and romance have never played such a major part in them. Welsh seems to be great at love stories too, which is something I couldn't have anticipated. But in the story two imperfect characters fall in love, and Lloyd's imperfection, addiction, creates a whole lot of trouble, but eventually it's clear they are going to be a great couple.

Have Welsh's characters ever been easily likeable? I don't think so. It's hard to like Lloyd when he's in debt and he knows he should get the money at a certain time, because the guy told him so, yet there he is, partying with his girlfriend. Get a grip! Also it's really frustrating in a good way (because you know you'r at least somewhat invested in the story) to watch this, because you start thinking if only. If only Lloyd had done this, if only Lloyd hadn't done that...

As always, I like how we get to learn about characters naturally, slowly, instead of  getting a massive dump of info on us.

I liked this movie visually very much. It was very colourful, mostly because of the clubs, but on the other hand there was a lo of earthly colours, because it takes place in Edinburgh. It creates such a nice contrast.

I can't say Ecstasy was anything I expected, because I wasn't really expecting anything. It isn't on the same level with Trainspotting, but how could it be, when the only similarity is Scotland, drugs and Irvine Welsh. Partly it's hard to watch, because it's a bit slow and doesn't seem to go anywhere, but at the end it's a great story, worth reading, watching.

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

8 / 10

Disco Pigs (2001)

Directed by: Kirsten Sheridan

Written by: Enda Walsh

Pig and Runt were born only moments apart from each other. They are twins all but by blood, and they have a weird connection. They are a notorious duo in their town, wreaking havoc all around, but few days before their 17th birthday, they start to drift apart when Pig's sexual awakening and insane jealousy starts disturbing their balance

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I had never heard of this movie until I stumbled upon it in the rental store today. And again, I was taking advantage of a discount where you'd get five movies for a week for 7 euros so I had to find more movies. The name Disco Pigs caught my eye because it was interesting yet told nothing about the movie. It's a name like "Trainspotting" and not a name like "Horrible Bosses". 

Mostly this movie made me really uncomfortable. It's mostly the story and the weird relationship between Pig and Runt, and especially Pig as a character made me super uncomfortable with his inappropriate behaviour. He's the exact kind of person I wouldn't want to meet anywhere even briefly, because I'd have to be scared he's going to do something erratic. I've mostly seen Cillian Murphy in really creepy roles like in Red Eye and Batman Begins, and this one is no different. From the very beginning it's like oh no, It's Cillian Murphy and he's going to do something awful again.

There's just something about their relationship that makes me want to tell Runt to run away. And at the same time I see comments about them, like some people don't just want Runt to be safe from Pig, which seems so weird to me. 

There's a lot of beautiful imagery in this movie, a lot of beautiful themes. It's very artsy but I just can't help but feel uncomfortable all through the movie. I can't appreciate all the beauty in it because I just can't stand Pig. 

Another thing that bothers me is the way they talk. No, not the Irish accent but sometimes the dialogue seems creepily childish. 

But I can see it's a great movie. It's well written, it's artistic and magical, it has great cast. I just don't like it on personal level.

☆☆☆☆

4 / 10

Äkkilähtö (2016)

Directed by: Tiina Lymi

Written by: Nina Laurio & Tiina Lymi

Katri finds out that his boyfriend has been living a secret double life with an Estonian woman. She finds a bag of money and receipts and decides to make a run for it. She is accompanied by a little girl named Anna running away from her criminal stepfather. Together they decide to head to Anna's grandmother's house.

---

I saw the trailer for this movie earlier this year in the theatres. I meant to go see it, but eventually forgot. I'm usually not interested in Finnish movies, but the story of Äkkilähtö (in English it basically means "last minute travel deal", literally "sudden departure", but apparently the English title is "Last Minute" according to Letterboxd) seemed interesting, so I decided to rent and watch it.

The reason why I'm mostly avoiding Finnish movies is the dialogue. It's very hard to make Finnish dialogue that seems genuine and not at all forced. The dialogue in Äkkilähtö, however, is excellent. It's very casual, and there are only few words that stand out and seem so fake. Also  the use of English was weird, but I did remember I have friends who do in fact mix English words with Finnish when they are speaking, so it's not that unrealistic, it just stands out weirdly. It's hilarious to compare the dialogue with American movies. If in a Hollywood film someone sees their friends beaten up, all bloody, they are horrified. In Finnish film they just give a casual notion "Oh, you got your ass kicked". And of course writing dialogue for child actors is always a challenge. Mostly the writers succeeded with Anna. 

Anna as a character is interesting. She's had a rough life, he has a mother who doesn't seem to care, who doesn't seem to be aware of her situation. She says really worrisome things very casually. The writing is successful because there are scenes, during which it's hinted what kind of life she's lived. Most of those the viewer can just guess, it's never said directly or thrown in your face. The only proof of her tragic lives is the conversations between her and her stepfather Tero. The way he acts towards her already makes you want to just protect her and / or punch Tero. 

It's also so much fun to see Tero try to interact with Katri's ex, because neither of them wants to really give away why they are after Katri and Anna. And actually that refusing to share proves out to be a useful way to hide something from the audience and surprise them, but I don't want to give anything away.

The soundtrack of this movie is amazing. Sometimes it reminds you of the surf music used by Quentin Tarantino in his movies. Mostly it reminds you of some kind of typical western. It just makes you think "Texas Ranger" or "Ranch". That mixed with Finnish nature is an interesting combination, but it definitely works.

Äkkilähtö is an amazing movie, and while I'd love to recommend it I think that mostly goes for all my readers from Nordic countries. Still, Äkkilähtö is funny, and it's way better than I thought any Finnish movie would be.

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

9 / 10

Date Night (2010)

Directed by: Shawn Levy

Written by: Josh Klausner 

Married couple tries to have a nice romantic night out, but dangerous people think they are someone else, and the night turns into dangerous adventure.

---

I've been watching a lot of 30 Rock and last night I was looking throught Netflix to find different movies Tina Fey has been in. Date Night is one of the movies I found, and since my dad had already seen it, and he said it was funny.

Date Night is definitely a funny movie. The way the two main characters just keep getting mixed in misadventures and situations which get crazier all the time is hilarious. 

Usually when a movie is about a married couple, there are those few annoying tropes. Screenwriters seem to hate marriage - they make it seem boring and hellish if there are kids involved, and there's no spark anymore and blah blah. But in Date Night these  two actually communicate, even if there seemed to be the same exact problem in the beginning as in many other movies. It's refreshing to see a somewhat typical comedy, yet the writers are not using those tropes as a way to create humor. It's not funny if a couple hates each other, it's just sad and weird. 

Date Night is an ordinary in its genre, though it is mixing two typical genres together. Still, it's hilarious and worth watching.

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

7 / 10

The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009)

Directed by: Chris Weitz

Written by: Melissa Rosenberg & Stephenie Meyer 

After a disastrous birthday part Edward Cullen dumps Bella Swan, who gets depressed and finally finds joy in her friend Jacob. But Jacob also has a secret very alike to Edward's...

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I know what you are thinking, and believe me, I feel it too. Why would I ever watch anything like this ever again? Those three months I spent obsessing over Twilight when I was 12 years old were enough. But you know what? I've only seen the first movie and this one, and this one once year ago. I realised these disasters are all on Netflix. I thought, what the hell, I'm going to watch them all for no reason at all!

Twilight movies are painful to watch. Not because of the dramatic and heart-breaking love stories, but because everyone is expressionless. Everyone always complains about Kristen Stewart, but everyone is just as bad as she is - except none of these actors are bad. I've seen Kristen Stewart in other movies, and she's an excellent actress. Same goes for almost everyone, yet everyone is so horrible in these movies. What also makes these movies painful is how everything is stupidly cheesy and dramatic, and every scene is unnecessary long. You could've easily made this an 1,5 hour film instead of two hours - just cut every useless part out. Thank you.

The story is annoying. Edward breaks up with Bella to protect her and she gets depressed. But her depression is so severe I honestly cannot believe that is a result of a healthy relationship ending. If you delete the supernatural element and change the beginning, it honestly feels like Bella just got out of an abusive relationship and is therefore a little broken and all that. Yeah, Bella is not an extremely three-dimensional character, but I almost want to protect her from Edward. 

I hate Edward Cullen. Sure, there aren't many likeable characters in these movie, but Edward is the worst. He's manipulative and controlling. It's like you start dating someone, but after a while you realise they tell you what to do and you don't dare to defy them. That's the kind of character Edward is. 

Special effects are so stupid. Nothing looks real. All vampires' eyes are so fake, like no one in real life could look a Cullen in the eyes and be like "yep, those are very normal eyes". The wolves were even faker. They looked like they came from a children's animation, and while that's understandable, they looked so incredibly unrealistic it ruined every scene with the wolves in it. 

One thing makes this movie better than the first one: there is less of Edward and more of Jacob. Or is that two things? I still dislike them both, but before we know what Jacob is he's so lovely. Everyone else is just so grim and blah.

Yet I'm still going to watch all of these. 

☆☆☆

3 / 10

How to Lose Friends and Alienate People (2008)

Directed by: Robert B. Weide

Written by: Peter Straughan & Toby Young (book)

British Simon Young has been writing for a humorous gossip magazine, but he gets an offer to join a high profile magazine in New York. The ride is bumpier than he'd expect.

---

I don't remember why I originally added this on my list on Netflix. I'm pretty sure I did not read to plot description. I mostly looked at the name and went with it. The name of the movie is strong and weak at the same time. It attracts attention, it certainly gives you a certain feel to the movie before you watch it. But eventually, is it accurate? And is it too long for people to remember, therefore making it harder for people to talk about it? "Hey, have you seen How to Lose Friends And Alienate People" just doesn't come so naturally to people. Thank god we can discuss it mostly online or in text messages.

The plot is intriguing because of two things: the beginning and Simon as a character. 

The beginning is a scene closer to the end - the "You're probably wondering how I got into this situation" kind of beginning. And when the movie actually starts, the contrast is amazing. You know where the main character Simon Young is going to be, but the how of the trip is intriguing considering the beginning doesn't seem to go so smoothly for him.

Somehow the beginning while interesting also made me sigh in frustration. Someone moves to New York? That certainly has never been done before! The story can be different, but the setting is getting tired. Is New York really that great? And people living in New York, don't come after me after I wrote that remark, you hear? 

Simon Young as a character is interesting. What are fictional journalists usually like? They always want to write serious stuff, win prizes and make a difference. That's always the way it goes, right? But Simon Young is into all the gossip articles. His priorities (he wants to have humorous, ironic look on different celebrities) are different from the people in other movies, and all the characters around him. Again, wonderful contrast. Now, is Simon Young likeable? He's a bit sympathetic, but some details about him annoy the audience. But what makes you mostly root for him is the way his opponent is even more annoying. There's nothing likeable in that guy, so you root for Simon. And eventually, you really like him, and you want to see him shine. 

Those are the two reasons that make you want to watch the entire movie. You want to know how Simon Young got to the place shown in the beginning, and you want him to be better than the more annoying character. Of course the movie is also enjoyable and fun, but those two are way more effective. If a movie is fun, but there's nothing else interesting going on, audience might not be as motivated reach the end.

It was weird listening to this movie. Almost every song on the soundtrack is on some playlist of mine. There's a chance it gets annoying if a movie is filled with recognisable, popular songs after another. In How to Lose Friends and Alienate People it works. Songs go well with the scenes, and they don't feel as forced as songs that are there just to trick you into enjoying a scene.

There are many typical details to How to Lose Friends and Alienate People, but it's also extremely refreshing. It's fun, even if a bit annoyingly vulgar at times, but at the end extremely enjoyable. It feels like this movie could be analysed way more - there's so much going on under the surface.

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

7 / 10